Report: Pro-Russian militants order Jews in Ukraine to 'register'

John-Henry Perera

Updated 2:54 pm, Thursday, April 17, 2014

A masked gunman guards combat vehicles with Russian, Donetsk Republic and Ukrainian paratroopers, flags and gunmen on top, parked in downtown of Slovyansk on Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The troops on those vehicles wore green camouflage uniforms, had automatic weapons and grenade launchers and at least one had the St. George ribbon attached to his uniform, which has become a symbol of the pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine. (AP Photo/ Sergei Grits)
Photo: Sergei Grits, STF

A masked gunman guards combat vehicles with Russian, Donetsk...

Women read banners as they pass the barricades of pro-Russian activists at a regional administration building that they had seized earlier in Donetsk, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Several government buildings have fallen to mobs of Moscow loyalists in recent days as unrest spreads across the east of the country.
Photo: Efrem Lukatsky, AP

Women read banners as they pass the barricades of pro-Russian...

A masked pro-Russian activist guards a barricade at the regional administration building that they had seized earlier in Donetsk, Ukraine, Tuesday , April 15, 2014. Several government buildings have fallen to mobs of Moscow loyalists in recent days as unrest spreads across the east of the country.
Photo: Efrem Lukatsky, AP

A masked pro-Russian activist guards a barricade at the regional...

Pro-Russian protesters wearing gas masks storm a regional police building as one prepares a petrol bomb in the eastern Ukrainian city of Horlivka near Donetsk.
Photo: Alexey Kravtsov / AFP / Getty Images

Pro-Russian protesters wearing gas masks storm a regional police...

Soldiers under Russian command stand-by at the Russian occupied Belbek airbase as Russian-led troops blockaded a number of Ukrainian military bases across Crimea, on March 4, 2014 in Lubimovka, Ukraine. Ukrainians troops, stationed at their garrison nearby, confronted the Russian soldiers unarmed today. The Russian-led troops fired their weapons into the air but then granted Colonel Yuli Mamchor, commander of the Ukrainian military, negotiations with their commander. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Photo: Sean Gallup, Getty Images

Soldiers under Russian command stand-by at the Russian occupied...

Soldiers under Russian command stand-by at the Russian occupied Belbek airbase as Russian-led troops blockaded a number of Ukrainian military bases across Crimea, on March 4, 2014 in Lubimovka, Ukraine. Ukrainians troops, stationed at their garrison nearby, confronted the Russian soldiers unarmed today. The Russian-led troops fired their weapons into the air but then granted Colonel Yuli Mamchor, commander of the Ukrainian military, negotiations with their commander. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Photo: Sean Gallup, Getty Images

Soldiers under Russian command stand-by at the Russian occupied...

Soldiers under Russian command look on from a military vehicle at the Russian occupied Belbek airbase as Russian-led troops blockaded a number of Ukrainian military bases across Crimea, on March 4, 2014 in Lubimovka, Ukraine. Ukrainians troops, stationed at their garrison nearby, confronted the Russian soldiers unarmed today. The Russian-led troops fired their weapons into the air but then granted Colonel Yuli Mamchor, commander of the Ukrainian military, negotiations with their commander. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Photo: Sean Gallup, Getty Images

Soldiers under Russian command look on from a military vehicle at...

A line of pro-Russian militants guard the Russian occupied Belbek airbase as Russian-led troops blockade a number of Ukrainian military bases across Crimea, on March 4, 2014 in Lubimovka, Ukraine. Ukrainians troops, stationed at their garrison nearby, confronted the Russian soldiers unarmed today. The Russian-led troops fired their weapons into the air but then granted Colonel Yuli Mamchor, commander of the Ukrainian military, negotiations with their commander. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Photo: Sean Gallup, Getty Images

A line of pro-Russian militants guard the Russian occupied Belbek...

A soldier under Russian command guards the Russian occupied Belbek airbase as Russian-led troops blockade a number of Ukrainian military bases across Crimea, on March 4, 2014 in Lubimovka, Ukraine. Ukrainians troops, stationed at their garrison nearby, confronted the Russian soldiers unarmed today. The Russian-led troops fired their weapons into the air but then granted Colonel Yuli Mamchor, commander of the Ukrainian military, negotiations with their commander. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Photo: Sean Gallup, Getty Images

A soldier under Russian command guards the Russian occupied Belbek...

Secretary of State John Kerry places roses atop the Shrine of the Fallen in Kiev, Ukraine March 4, 2014. The Shrine of the Fallen, located on Institutska Street, honors the fallen Heroes of the "Heavenly Sotnya" (Hundred). Over the course of the EuroMaidan protests, almost 100 protesters were killed by police. (AP PHoto/Kevin Lamarque, Pool)
Photo: Kevin Lamarque, Associated Press

Secretary of State John Kerry places roses atop the Shrine of the...

People wearing cossack's hats take part in a rally in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, on March 4, 2014, in support of ethnic Russians in the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. The paster reads: "We support the brother people!" President Vladimir Putin, who recently won approval from Russia's upper house of parliament to send troops into Ukraine due to the stand-off in Crimea, said today there was currently no need for military action -- but Moscow reserved the right to do so. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY KRONBERGANDREY KRONBERG/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: ANDREY KRONBERG, AFP/Getty Images

People wearing cossack's hats take part in a rally in the southern...

A young woman takes part in a rally in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, on March 4, 2014, in support of ethnic Russians in the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. The posters read: "No to Nazism!" (L), a Russian crossed-out acronym for NATO (R). President Vladimir Putin, who recently won approval from Russia's upper house of parliament to send troops into Ukraine due to the stand-off in Crimea, said today there was currently no need for military action -- but Moscow reserved the right to do so. AFP PHOTO / ANDREY KRONBERGANDREY KRONBERG/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: ANDREY KRONBERG, AFP/Getty Images

A young woman takes part in a rally in the southern city of...

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) gives a news conference at his country residence of Novo-Ogaryova, outside Moscow, on March 4, 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said that deposed Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych had no political future but asserted he was legally still head of state. AFP PHOTO / RIA NOVOSTI / PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / ALEXEY NIKOLSKYALEXEY NIKOLSKY/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: ALEXEY NIKOLSKY, AFP/Getty Images

Pro Russian supporters stand in line ouside the headquarters of the Ukrainian Navy in Sevastopol on March 4, 2014. The Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Aleksandr Vitko has issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian military personnel in Crimea, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. Ukraine accused Russia on Monday of pouring more troops into Crimea as world leaders grappled with Europe's worst standoff since the Cold War and the Moscow market plunged on fears of an all-out conflic AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTEFILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE, AFP/Getty Images

Pro Russian supporters stand in line ouside the headquarters of the...

US Secretary of State John Kerry (second on the right) stands beside a barricade at the Shrine of the Fallen in Kiev on March 4, 2014. The Shrine of the Fallen, located on Institutska Street, honors the fallen "Heroes" of the "Heavenly Sotnya" (Hundred). Over the course of the EuroMaidan protests, almost 100 protesters were killed by police. Most of them died on February 20 killed by sniper or automatic weapons fire on Institutska Street. US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kiev Tuesday for talks with Ukraine's new interim government, amid an escalating crisis in Crimea. His visit came as the United States said it would provide $1 billion to financially-stricken Ukraine as part of an international loan. With the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea under near complete control by pro-Russian forces, US officials said Moscow could face sanctions within days. AFP PHOTO / POOL - Kevin LamarqueKEVIN LAMARQUE/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: KEVIN LAMARQUE, AFP/Getty Images

US Secretary of State John Kerry (second on the right) stands...

Members of the Russian forces stand guard at the gateway of Ukrainian unit in the small Crimean city of Kerch 4, 2014.The Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Aleksandr Vitko has issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian military personnel in Crimea, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. Ukraine accused Russia on March 3 of pouring more troops into Crimea as world leaders grappled with Europe's worst standoff since the Cold War and the Moscow market plunged on fears of an all-out conflict. AFP PHOTO/ GENYA SAVILOVGENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: GENYA SAVILOV, AFP/Getty Images

Members of the Russian forces stand guard at the gateway of...

Members of the Russian forces stand guard at the gateway of Ukrainian unit in the small Crimean city of Kerch 4, 2014.The Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Aleksandr Vitko has issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian military personnel in Crimea, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. Ukraine accused Russia on March 3 of pouring more troops into Crimea as world leaders grappled with Europe's worst standoff since the Cold War and the Moscow market plunged on fears of an all-out conflict. AFP PHOTO AFP PHOTO/ GENYA SAVILOVGENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: GENYA SAVILOV, AFP/Getty Images

Members of the Russian forces stand guard at the gateway of...

Members of the Russian forces stand guard at the gateway of a Ukrainian unit in the small Crimean city of Kerch 4, 2014.The Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Aleksandr Vitko has issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian military personnel in Crimea, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. Ukraine accused Russia on March 3 of pouring more troops into Crimea as world leaders grappled with Europe's worst standoff since the Cold War and the Moscow market plunged on fears of an all-out conflict. AFP PHOTO/ GENYA SAVILOVGENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: GENYA SAVILOV, AFP/Getty Images

Members of the Russian forces stand guard at the gateway of a...

A woman walks past members of the Russian forces standing guard at the gateway of Ukrainian unit in the small Crimean city of Kerch 4, 2014.The Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Aleksandr Vitko has issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian military personnel in Crimea, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. Ukraine accused Russia on March 3 of pouring more troops into Crimea as world leaders grappled with Europe's worst standoff since the Cold War and the Moscow market plunged on fears of an all-out conflict. AFP PHOTO/ GENYA SAVILOVGENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: GENYA SAVILOV, AFP/Getty Images

A woman walks past members of the Russian forces standing guard at...

A woman speaks to Ukrainian marines guarding the unit as members of Russian forces stand guard outside in the small Crimean city of Kerch on March 4, 2014.The Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Aleksandr Vitko has issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian military personnel in Crimea, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. Ukraine accused Russia on March 3 of pouring more troops into Crimea as world leaders grappled with Europe's worst standoff since the Cold War and the Moscow market plunged on fears of an all-out conflict. AFP PHOTO/ GENYA SAVILOVGENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: GENYA SAVILOV, AFP/Getty Images

A woman speaks to Ukrainian marines guarding the unit as members of...

Russian soldiers fire warning shots at the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, Ukraine, on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Russian troops, who had taken control over Belbek airbase, fired warning shots in the air as around 300 Ukrainian officers marched towards them to demand their jobs back. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
Photo: Ivan Sekretarev, Associated Press

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, inspects protesters barricades in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, March, 4, 2014. In a somber show of U.S. support for Ukraines new leadership, Secretary of State John Kerry walked the streets Tuesday where nearly 100 anti-government protesters were gunned down by police last month, and promised beseeching crowds that American aid is on the way. The Obama administration announced a $1 billion energy subsidy package in Washington as Kerry was arriving in Kiev.(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Photo: Efrem Lukatsky, Associated Press

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, inspects protesters...

Secretary of State John Kerry talks with a religious leader as views the Shrine of the Fallen in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. The Shrine of the Fallen, located on Institutska Street, honors the fallen Heroes of the "Heavenly Sotnya" (Hundred). Over the course of the EuroMaidan protests, almost 100 protesters were killed by police. (AP Photo/Kevin Lamarque, Pool)
Photo: Kevin Lamarque, Associated Press

Secretary of State John Kerry talks with a religious leader as...

A gas mask lies among other debris at a barricade where Secretary of State John Kerry was visiting, Tuesday, March 4, 2014, at the Shrine of the Fallen in Kiev, Ukraine. The Shrine of the Fallen, located on Institutska Street, honors the fallen Heroes of the "Heavenly Sotnya" (Hundred). Over the course of the EuroMaidan protests, almost 100 protesters were killed by police. (AP Photo/Kevin Lamarque, Pool)
Photo: Kevin Lamarque, Associated Press

A gas mask lies among other debris at a barricade where Secretary...

Secretary of State John Kerry visits the Shrine of the Fallen in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. The Shrine of the Fallen, located on Institutska Street, honors the fallen Heroes of the "Heavenly Sotnya" (Hundred). Over the course of the EuroMaidan protests, almost 100 protesters were killed by police. AP Photo/Kevin Lamarque, Pool)
Photo: Kevin Lamarque, Associated Press

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In what sounds like an eerie return to the 1930s, Israeli news website YNetNews.com reports pro-Russian militants in the east Ukrainian city of Donetsk are ordering Jewish residents to "register" with them.

Masked men passed along leaflets to Jews leaving a synagogue, ordering them to pay a $50 registration fee and provide a list of property they currently own. Failure to do so would mean a forfeiture of citizenship, deportation and confiscation of their belongings.

The flyer reads in full:

"Dear Ukraine citizens of Jewish nationality,

"Due to the fact that the leaders of the Jewish community of Ukraine supported Bendery Junta and oppose the pro-Slavic People's Republic of Donetsk, (the interim government) has decided that all citizens of Jewish descent, over 16 years of age and residing within the republic's territory are required to report to the Commissioner for Nationalities in the Donetsk Regional Administration building and register.

"ID and passport are required to register your Jewish religion, religious documents of family members, as well as documents establishing the rights to all real estate property that belongs to you, including vehicles.

"Evasion of registration will result in citizenship revoke and you will be forced outside the country with a confiscation of property."

The so-called "People's Republic of Donetsk" was created by pro-Russian activists in Ukraine as an act of defiance from Kiev's order to surrender. Bendery Junta is apparently a reference to the late Stepan Bandera, a controversial man who led the Ukrainian nationalist movement for independence at the end of World War II.

It's not yet immediately clear if the leaflet is valid material from the pro-Russian movement or something else entirely. Still, the leaflet brings back dark memories of the kind of anti-Semitic material passed around by the Nazi party in the 1930s.

Denis Pushilin, chairman of the People's Republic of Donetsk, told YNetNews the flyers were distrusted by his organization, but he has denied any connection to their content.